Blek le Rat

One of the godfathers of the European street art movement, Blek le Rat inspired hundreds of
artists around the world with his stenciled style. He is frequently cited as a major influence of
artists like Banksy and Space Invader, and through his work in Paris he established a style of
urban art that quickly spread through Europe and eventually the United States.

Despite the enormous role he played in 1980s and 1990s street art, Blek le Rat kept a low profile
through most of his career to avoid prison time, fines and public harassment. He struggled years
before urban art was a somewhat acceptable genre, documenting his own works and trying to
find ways to make a living as a professional artist. He set the stage for an artistic revolution
through years of absolute obscurity.

It is difficult to mention Blek le Rat without mentioning Banksy, the faceless guerrilla art icon
who has made a major impact on the mainstream art community with stenciled works of
graffiti. Critics and street artists often note the similarities in Blek le Rat and Banksy’s respective
styles.Blek certainly started creating street art before Banksy and is undoubtedly responsible for
more major innovations in stenciled graffiti. However, Banksy is more well known for his
confrontational style and creative staging, and many newcomers to the world of street art
assume that le Rat copies Banksy’s style.